In today's conventional delivery systems, the sender of an item, for example, a parcel, places the recipient's name and address on the item to specify the delivery point, and gives it to a delivery service to deliver. While the item is en route to the delivery point, conventional delivery systems often allow the sender of an item to track the item's progress from the sending point to the delivery point. Such systems typically use a unique identification tag, such as a bar code label, to identify the item and track it. As the item passes through various locations along the route to the delivery point, the tag is scanned and information regarding the item's current location is updated. Using the tag's identification number, the sender can access the current location information and follow the progress of the item.
Some conventional systems also allow a recipient to track an item en route to the recipient's delivery point, if the recipient knows the identification tag number associated with the item. For example, if a person purchases an item online or via the telephone, the seller may provide a “tracking number” for the item, with which the buyer can learn the item's current location en route. The buyer may use the delivery service's web site, or call a telephone number to learn the current location of the item.
Several problems exist, however, with today's conventional delivery systems. First, conventional delivery systems are typically inflexible regarding timing of deliveries—the delivery service simply brings the item to the delivery point when it is convenient for the deliverer. This is inconvenient for the recipient and causes missed deliveries if the recipient is unable to wait at the delivery point according to the deliverer's schedule. If the recipient cannot arrange to wait for delivery, they must either pick the item up from the delivery service or arrange a new delivery time.
Second, conventional systems deliver to a single static delivery point that is specified at the time of shipping when the sender places the recipient's name and address on the item being shipped. This is inconvenient and inefficient if the recipient cannot be at the delivery point when the delivery service arrives with the item. When this happens, delivery is delayed as the delivery service must keep the item and attempt to contact the recipient to arrange redelivery at a different time. Naturally, a recipient would prefer delivery to a location where he can accept it.
There are other reasons a recipient may wish to have an item delivered to a delivery point other than the one specified by the sender For example, if a recipient learns that a parcel is going to be delivered to his house tomorrow, but he cannot receive the parcel because he must make a last minute out-of-town business trip, he may wish to have the parcel delivered to his out-of-town hotel. A recipient may also wish to redirect delivery of a perishable item if the specified delivery point is not conducive to preserving it; or redirect the delivery of an item having special physical characteristics, such as high weight or large size, that cannot be accommodated at the specified delivery point. Or, the recipient may just wish to redirect delivery of an item for convenience sake.
Accordingly, a need exists for systems and methods of item delivery that allow a recipient to flexibly customize the delivery point and delivery time while the item is en route. There is a need to provide recipients with the ability to redirect an item to a new delivery point and to specify the time of delivery at the delivery point, based on information about the item. Further, there is a need for item delivery systems and methods that enable a sender to flexibly specify the return delivery point for an item that is returned (e.g., when the sender becomes the new recipient because the item was undeliverable to the addressee).